Posts Tagged ‘money’

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.2 Corinthians 9:7

Twitter etiquette says you follow back whomever follows you. Lately, for me, that has been some questionable characters. I get private messages saying, “Hi beautiful. How are you today? I’d like to get to know you.”

I unfollow them immediately.

When I do follow back I always check the profiles. Some reveal that they are foreign workers in orphanages or creating water supplies for areas lacking them.

Their private messages ask me for a donation to their cause. It is almost immediate so I am not sure if it is set up as an auto response. I find it just as offensive as those from the men. It screams “SCAM” to me.

As Christians are we to trust everyone on social media who says they have a ministry? After doing some reading about how there are many orphanages around the world collecting donations on social media for which the children see no benefit, I have become a skeptic.

Our money is from the Lord, as are all the things that we enjoy in this life (Psalm 24:1). He tells us to be generous and to help those in need (Proverbs 22:9). However, there seems to be a responsibility on our part to know the need, not just to hear about it.

Luke 6:30 says, “Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.”  Does this negate our responsibility to know how the money will be used?

If a man we know (especially a brother in the Lord) is hungry and has family who need food and a roof over their heads and we trust this man not to run to a liquor store or a casino with it, help that person!  But, if we know they are not trustworthy, that they have these ways that make them untrustworthy, should we not be good stewards with what God gives us? Perhaps we should take food directly to the family rather than hand over cash.

On a broader scale, though I know that there are starving children in Africa, am I to believe a man who gives me no more introduction to himself or his ministry than “Please send money?”

This does not mean that we should not give to foreign missions. It does mean that we should do our homework. If we cannot go, we should talk to someone who has been there – who has seen firsthand the work they are doing. Further, we should know that they are doing it for the Lord, that with the charity from the people who are receiving the cash they are also  receiving the Gospel.

Our money needs to go to those who are truly needy, a need we can see if it is personal. If we send it to a ministry, we need to know that those who will decide how it gets spent are trustworthy ambassadors for Christ.

How much Christians give to whom is between the individual and God. By all means, be generous but also be wise.